The stream of environmental and labor rights news from Apple continues today with the company's release of its annual Supplier Responsibility Progress Report for 2012. The report details efforts to oversee working conditions and environmental responsibility at its suppliers around the world, and notes that the company conducted 229 audits during 2011 for an 80% increase over 2010's auditing levels.

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In 2011, we conducted 229 audits throughout our supply chain -- an 80 percent increase over 2010 -- including more than 100 first-time audits. We continue to expand our program to reach deeper into our supply base, and this year we added more detailed and specialized audits that focus on safety and the environment.

The company notes that in 2011 it began a dedicated environmental auditing process to supplement the environmental checks that had previously been included in the standard auditing procedure. According to the company, third-party environmental engineering experts helped conduct audits at fourteen different facilities, and some violations were found.

Full details on the auditing results, including summaries of the various violations discovered in environmental and other areas, are available in the complete report (PDF).

Apple for the first time also published a list of 156 suppliers (PDF) representing 97% of the company's procurement expenditures. While no details on each company's role in Apple's supply chain is offered in the document, merely identifying the supply chain offers some improvement in transparency for the secretive company.

"I have spent a lot of time in factories over my lifetime and we are clearly leading in this area," said Mr. Cook, previously Apple's chief operating officer who oversaw its supply chain. "It is like innovating in products. You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the problem." [...]

The report found 108 facilities didn't pay proper overtime wages and 93 facilities had records that indicated more than 50% of their workers exceeded the 60-hour work week. The audits also found 5 facilities had incidents of underage labor.

"Working hours is a complex issue," said Mr. Cook, adding he's confident the company can improve in the area by "monitoring these plants at a very, very micro level."

Exactly, damage control. Though I know it will never happen, it would be great if they would share the results of these audits.

What computer did you post this from, and where can I find the full audits of every component? How about your clothes? And your food? After all, you seem to think it's your business to know everything about everything.

Exactly, damage control. Though I know it will never happen, it would be great if they would share the results of these audits.

Well, Apple just did. And after reading their report, "damage control" seems to me a malicious misinterpretation of what Apple is doing.

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Originally Posted by tdream

Apple doing a good job of covering their asses.

Same here. I'd say Apple doing a good job helping employees who have been exploited by agencies (forcing suppliers to pay $3.3 million dollars this year to such employees), forcing employers to uphold basic worker rights, even when not required by their country's law, and even for workers not involved with Apple products, and forcing employers to stop damaging the environment.

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Originally Posted by *LTD*

Good to see, but what Apple can do here is rather limited.

How is it limited? Obviously Apple can't force them to do anything, but Apple can and does say: "Behave appropriately, or you are not going to do any business with Apple anymore". And in several cases they said: "You didn't behave appropriately, so our business with you is finished".

Foxconn employees in that factory city may make aapl products, but those workers were specifically x box workers. That incident had nothing to do with aapl:

"Dozens of workers assembling Xbox video game consoles climbed to a factory dormitory roof, and some threatened to jump to their deaths, in a dispute over job transfers that was defused but highlights growing labor unrest as China's economy slows.

The dispute was set off after contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group announced it would close the assembly line for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 models at its plant in the central city of Wuhan and transfer the workers to other jobs, workers and Foxconn said Thursday."

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Originally Posted by langis.elbasunu

corning glass is not on the list of suppliers

that should put the gorilla glass rumors to rest, no?

The glass technology could be licensed by GLW to another manufacturer specifically making displays for aapl.

So what? What do Apple's findings have to do with XBox production lines? It was never made clear that the facility in Wuhan also makes Apple's products. Apple certainly can't be expected to monitor an entire company, especially one the size of Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) which employs almost million people. All any company can do is make sure the facilities where their products are made are up to certain standards.

You should have read the article. The issue isn't working conditions - its declining manufacturing orders. In other words, its exactly the situation that might be brought about by some moralistic boycott. I somehow doubt though that the do-gooders would have put these (very unlikely) suicides on their own conscience.

Are these violations of Chinese environmental laws, or are the plants expected to meet US standards? These may be violations of very weak standards that amount to very little protection at best in the first place.

With your ridiculous logic, I should sue Motorola because I don't like a purchase I made at Sears, since they are both based in Illinois. After all, since they are in the same state, they MUST be in cahoots, right? In fact, I heard a rumor on a progressive blog once that Moto Razr was made by the Kenmore people in sweat shops! BOYCOTT! I'll just go buy products from Vegan Industrial.

How is it limited? Obviously Apple can't force them to do anything, but Apple can and does say: "Behave appropriately, or you are not going to do any business with Apple anymore". And in several cases they said: "You didn't behave appropriately, so our business with you is finished".

Apple doesn’t specifically push the “Gorilla Glass” brand in their marketing message currently, but they still sell one model where they did mention that brand: the 3GS. So Corning’s absence from the list probably doesn’t mean what you think.

Obviously Apple can't force them to do anything, but Apple can and does say: "Behave appropriately, or you are not going to do any business with Apple anymore". And in several cases they said: "You didn't behave appropriately, so our business with you is finished".

And the suppliers will say "good-by, I'll make stuff for Widowz and Android instead. If you want us to meet these conditions, you (Apple) will have to pay us more for our products to cover the cost difference".